Hummingbirds: Feeder, Food, & More!

Step 9 Upkeep & Tips

Whatever type of feeder you use, make sure you clean it every couple of days or every week. This means you don't need to put massive amounts of food in the feeder every time you fill up. The food can also go bad if the hummingbirds don't drink it fast enough of if it's out in the weather (sun, wind, rain) for too long. Molds and other nasty stuff can grow on the feeder too in time.

When washing the feeder daily, use warm water. Do not use soap! Hummingbirds don't like the taste, so don't take a chance. If there is black mold on the feeder, you've left it outside too long. Just use hot water and some sand, shaken, to get rid of it.

In addition to the usual clean, once a month, feeders should be soaked in 1/4 cup of bleach to every gallon of water. Leave it in the solution for one hour and then clean with a bottle brush if available. Make sure you rinse well before putting nectar back in it, though any leftover bleach will be neutralized with the fresh syrup.

• Try to hang your feeder in the shade because the expanding gas from the sun's heat can cause leaks in your feeder. Also, it can make the nectar burning hot and injure the birds.
• Place your feeder near flowers or a garden to begin with. The hummingbirds will investigate and figure out it's a food source and will look for it. After the hummingbird becomes familiar with the feeder, you can move it to a different location.
• Aim for a slow trafficking time period when you can clean your feeder. I find that during , morning, noon, and afternoon I see the hummingbirds come, so it'd be better to clean it at night.
• Don't put too much food in the feeder! Use enough for two to three days of feeding. If it gets cloudy, the food is spoiled and may hurt the hummingbirds.
• Try placing overripe fruit - banana peels work too! - to attract flies for the hummingbirds to eat.

Comments

[jtown]

Awesome! thanks so much well done when do you find is the best time to place the feeder outsider? last year i waited to long and didn't attract any birds :(